Power and Politics in Organizations

This is a collection of articles exploring the issue of power in relation to organizations. It asserts that any attempt to understand the large literature on power must extend beyond the confines of organization and management theory. The argument underlying the volume is that broad exploration is essential because management studies of power have been for the most part, severely constrained, tending to view power from a functionalist perspective. In so doing issues of how power becomes embedded in existing organizational structures, cultures, practices, rules and regulations have been ignored. This book discusses definitions of power, and presents some mainstream management views of power and politics. The focus is then broadened to include more critical approaches to power. It pulls together these developments to present a different conceptualization of power, and to suggest where future research might be directed.